The final match of the FA Cup between Crystal Palace and Manchester City will take place on May 17 at Wembley Stadium in London. Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Crystal Palace
The Londoners have confidently navigated their way to the FA Cup final, winning all five of their matches. In the first three rounds, they faced opponents from the lower leagues of England. However, in the last two stages, they had to battle against Premier League teams, not only winning but also keeping a clean sheet. First, they thrashed Fulham away (3-0), and then at Wembley, Oliver Glasner's side dispatched Aston Villa with the same scoreline. This is the third time in the club's history that they have reached the FA Cup final (the last time was in 2016).
- At least one team failed to score in 6 of Crystal Palace's last 7 FA Cup games.
- A maximum of three goals have been scored in 8 of the last 9 matches of the Londoners in this tournament.
- The club opened the scoring in their last five FA Cup matches.
Predicted lineup for Crystal Palace (5-3-2)
Dean Henderson – Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, Tyrick Mitchell, Daniel Munoz, Chris Richards – Jefferson Lerma, Daichi Kamada, Eberechi Eze – Ismaila Sarr, Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Midfielder Cheick Doucoure and defender Chadi Riad are out due to injuries. Midfielder Adam Wharton's participation in the final is doubtful.
Manchester City
The Citizens are reaching the FA Cup final for the third consecutive season. Last year, they lost the main match of the tournament to Manchester United (1-2), while in the 2022/23 season, Pep Guardiola's side won against their city rivals by the same scoreline. In this year's competition, the club, like Crystal Palace, won all five matches in regulation time, and also faced lower league opponents in the first three rounds. In the last two stages of the FA Cup, Manchester City first overcame Bournemouth away (2-1) and then Nottingham Forest at Wembley (2-0).
- The Citizens have won 16 of their last 17 matches in this tournament.
- A maximum of three goals have been scored in 6 of Manchester City's last 8 FA Cup games.
- The team has scored at least two goals in 12 of their last 15 FA Cup encounters.
Predicted lineup for Manchester City (4-2-3-1)
Ederson – Rico Lewis, Josko Gvardiol, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias – Mateo Kovacic, Bernardo Silva – Kevin De Bruyne, James McAtee, Phil Foden – Erling Haaland.
Defenders Nathan Ake and John Stones are in the club's infirmary. The participation of midfielder Rodri Hernandez and forward Oscar Bobb is still in question due to lack of fitness.
Referee
Stuart Attwell (England)
Matches – 23 (Premier League, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 91;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.7;
Red cards shown – 3;
Average fouls per match – 21;
Penalties – 13%.
Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City: Match Prediction
Despite being the underdog, I believe the Londoners have a decent chance of winning the FA Cup. The team convincingly defeated two Premier League representatives in the previous stages, easily dispatching Aston Villa, who are competing with the Citizens for a top-five finish in the league. Crystal Palace is also in good form, having suffered only two defeats in their last 11 Premier League matches (5 wins and 4 draws).
I predict that the Londoners will at least not lose in regular time, or the defeat will be minimal. In their last 19 Premier League matches, Oliver Glasner's side has suffered only two defeats with a margin of two or more goals, and in the FA Cup, they have not lost by such a margin in 19 of their last 20 games. It should also be noted that Manchester City has not won by a margin of two or more goals in 8 of their last 11 league matches. Additionally, in their last two Premier League games, the Citizens have struggled with finishing, securing a narrow victory over Wolverhampton (1-0) and drawing sensationally with Southampton (0-0).
My prediction – Crystal Palace with a handicap (+1)
